The Principal Teacher

I have written two articles so far on my reflections on returning to the classroom after being a school and district administrator. Things have definitely changed and I have been forced to change how I do many things so that students can learn in my classroom. What a journey! Today I’ll share what I have learned about being demanding without being a jerk.

In the past, I would say I was a pretty demanding teacher. I had very high expectations of my students, mostly with behavior and to a lesser degree with academics. Now if you had asked me at the time I would have said that I had a very high academic standard for my students, but I really didn’t. I accepted poor quality work, tolerated failure, allowed zeroes for missing work, did not accept late work, and generally had a sink or swim mentality. Many kids would wind up swimming, but some sank, and I allowed them to do so. I have come to realize that while these practices may seem like a high standard on the surface, they really are not.

Since coming back to the classroom, my heart has definitely softened toward students and the burdens they carry in and out of school. And I have had the benefit of observing literally hundreds of teachers over the years as part of my job, and I took a lot away from what I saw them doing! Here are a few things I have implemented to become more academically demanding while still having a heart.

1. If they turn in poorly done work, give it back– I ask them to fix their mistakes and give it back to me when they are done. This is a good opportunity for me to tell them that I know that they can do better than they did. I usually get a small grin out of them and a nod of agreement. This tells the student two important things: I believe in them, and I expect them to meet the standard or else. And yes, I take the redone work for full credit. Why penalize a student’s grade just because they did poorly the first time around? If we are interested in their learning, we won’t do that.
2. Walk around while students are working– I used to believe the fallacy that when students are working on something, I can sit down and do something else. I no longer believe that. Instead, while they are working I relentlessly walk around. Some kids I prod to get to work. Others see me nearby and ask a question that I get to answer on the spot. And while I’m doing this I get information on how well the students were tracking with me when I gave directions and through my teaching. And I’ve arranged the room so that I’m no further than about 10 feet from anyone at any given time, so I’m close enough to each of them to be able to influence their behavior. That idea came right out of Fred Jones’s classic book “Tools for Teaching,” and it still works. In the day and age of cell phone addiction, it is more important than ever for teachers to be walking around constantly.
3. Work with students to make tutorials happen- Like every other teacher out there, I have a number of students who REALLY need my help but who have a difficult schedule or transportation situation that makes tutorial attendance difficult. I usually have a one on one conversation with these students to make a deal for them to come see me on a given morning or afternoon. And if they miss it I keep coming back. The message I want them to hear is simple: you can do it, I know you can do it, and I’m going to help you do it. I have found that kids work so much harder when they get this relentless approach.
4. Assess often during instruction– I have talked a little about this in a previous post but I’ll repeat it because it is that important. I have found that teaching about 10 minutes, followed up with assessment questions and discussion, is the key to student engagement and drives high standards. I follow the model for Peer Instruction using the Plicker card system, which has a limited free version. In the model, a question is presented, students answer the question individually, and then show the class how everyone responded. I then give them a minute or so to speak to their neighbor about the answer they chose and why, and I give them a chance to change their answer in the end. I do take these quizzes for a grade, incidentally. The accountability of a grade makes them work harder and seems to promote deeper conversations about the questions I’m asking. I have had many students tell me that this format has helped them to learn the material more effectively.

I have found it relatively easy to implement these 4 strategies while smiling and maintaining good humor with my students, and you will to! You don’t have to raise your voice or lower the academic bar to help students succeed. Each of these things will get you back to the main thing, which is student success. But for these ideas to work, it all has to be backed up by your own heart.

I continue to see that the root of good teaching is actually love and compassion for your students. Kids are very perceptive. They know when we care about them and they know when we do not. You and I are there to help them succeed, so let’s work together to make that happen for every one of them!